In our conversations with customers and partners, two themes consistently emerge: the impact of AI at work and the challenge of successfully navigating flexible work. We see these challenges as related: adopting AI will enable the improved transformation of our workplaces. This transformation lies not just in adopting AI, but in fully leveraging its benefits. Investing in AI opens unparalleled opportunities for productivity, creativity, and growth, setting the stage for a future where businesses and workplaces thrive and employees excel.
Reshaping the future with a Connected Workplace
We know that work is already being revolutionized by AI. In Microsoft’s annual Work Trend Index this year, we surveyed 31,000 people across 31 countries, analyzing labor and hiring trends from LinkedIn and productivity patterns of Microsoft 365 customers globally. We learned that for those surveyed, AI is not just about automating tasks. It expands capabilities and breaks through traditional limitations, providing both employees and organizations with a competitive edge. Employees are not waiting for their companies to adopt AI. Of the knowledge workers we surveyed, 75 percent say they’re already using AI tools at work, with usage nearly doubling over the last six months. And surprisingly, 78 percent of AI users are bringing their own AI to work.
At the same time, many organizations are struggling to revitalize workplace dynamics and team cohesion, with 43 percent of professionals reporting they feel disconnected from their companies.1 The Connected Workplace is where we’re headed. It's not just about how we work; it's about how we connect, regardless of where work is happening.
Connect with your voice to bring more intelligence into meetings
More than 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies are using Teams Rooms, and there are over 1 million Teams Rooms worldwide. But our customers are not only using Teams Rooms for in-person meetings – many of those rooms host hybrid meetings, with a mix of in-person and remote participants. Hybrid meetings are essential but can have limitations: with 48 percent of knowledge workers worldwide working from home at least one day a week,2 customers are struggling to efficiently capture and act on key insights in hybrid meetings.
We have a solution for that: to enable intelligent meeting recap and Copilot in every space, beginning with Teams Rooms. Meeting recap and Copilot rely on detailed transcripts with speaker attribution to deliver accurate summaries, insights, and action items. Individuals’ contributions are captured, and everyone has a voice.
For this reason, enrolling your voice is crucial. Learn how to enroll your voice at aka.ms/VoiceProfile.
This technology also helps to eliminate distractions during meetings. Teams uses your voice profile to isolate it when you’re speaking in bustling airports, busy cafes, or noisy shared workspaces.
As we’ve announced before, speaker recognition is coming to every Teams Room via the cloud. Now, this feature is in public preview. Soon, hundreds of thousands of rooms will be Copilot-enabled. And our timing couldn’t be better – Team Copilot, which will take notes during your meetings directly from the room, even without a scheduled or online meeting, is arriving soon. This means that Copilot will extend beyond online and hybrid meetings and even impromptu in-person meetings will now be able to also benefit from AI assistance. Just walk into a Teams Room, scan the QR code, and Team Copilot will automatically be part of the meeting.
AI-enhanced experiences for remote participants
AI isn't just improving work and connections. It's also solving visual challenges for remote participants. IntelliFrame individually frames participants to create easier engagement for remote attendees. Coming soon, automatic camera switching will enhance the capabilities of IntelliFrame. The feature optimizes views from multiple sources like multiple in-room cameras and laptop cameras, providing remote participants with enhanced interaction and the best view.
And coming soon, remote attendees can manually toggle between views they want to see with multiple camera view, offering customers flexibility and better engagement, wherever they are.
Multiple camera view, available soon
Expanded workplace solutions
We’re leveraging AI and new technologies to enhance workplace efficiency and collaboration from anywhere, not only in traditional meeting rooms. We see an opportunity for a new kind of Connected Workplace: an AI-powered work environment that empowers organizations with great meetings and better ways for people to connect in every space.
Bring your own device (BYOD) rooms
Now, BYOD rooms can enjoy better meeting experiences with features like:
- Shared display mode, which streamlines content sharing and ensures privacy for items on your desktop, is now available for Windows users, with Mac coming at the end of June
- Enhanced audio, with peripherals like intelligent speakers, enable speaker recognition so Copilot can bring greater productivity to your hybrid meetings
Bookable desks
There is a growing trend in workplaces. Organizations are moving away from assigned offices and desks to desks that are shared and bookable. Microsoft Teams brings intelligence to these spaces as well. Now, users can reserve a desk and make it their own by just connecting to a monitor or other peripheral on the desk. The desk is automatically booked for the day (time is adjustable).
Reserving a desk through Teams on your computer
To learn more about our new BYOD meeting rooms and bookable desk solutions, read our blog article that dives into the solutions we announced just a few weeks ago.
Inform and engage employees with digital signage in Teams Rooms
We’re delivering another way Teams Rooms can help your organization connect with a capability customers have long been waiting for. Coming soon, digital signage enables your Teams Rooms on Windows to become spaces where you can share dynamic content and timely information, allowing you to extend your organization’s communications to meeting spaces when your Teams Room devices are not in use. With digital signage in Teams Rooms, you can:
- Configure digital signage settings for your tenant, including enabling third party digital signage provider integrations and adjusting display period directly from Teams Rooms Pro Management
- Manage content seamlessly using third party content management systems. Our initial partners include Appspace and XOGO
- Display content from web URLs as digital signage sources in cases where you don’t use any of the supported digital signage providers.
Digital signage with customizable multimedia content
While currently in private preview with limited customers, digital signage in Teams Rooms, including integrations with Appspace and XOGO , will be generally available in the third quarter of 2024 for Teams Rooms on Windows. Support for Teams Rooms on Android will follow in 2025.
Intelligence for IT in every space
With the addition of BYOD rooms and bookable desks to the Teams Rooms Pro Management service, IT admins will have more data and insights to help them track inventory and plan spaces intelligently.
- Auto-discovery from Teams desktop or bulk import now enables visibility of BYOD meeting rooms and bookable work desks in the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal
- Devices can be easily associated with rooms or desk pools, making them bookable resources for users
- Enhance shared spaces with usage reports for data-driven decisions and improved planning, gaining valuable insights for asset management.
Faster, easier deployment
And with Windows Autopilot (now available in public preview) and Autologin (general availability starting today), we’re making it more efficient for admins to set up Teams Rooms, reducing the time and effort from hours or days to under 1 hour. Read our blog post to learn more about Autopilot and Autologin for Teams Rooms on Windows devices.
Remote management in Teams Rooms
IT admins can now easily manage Teams Rooms and Surface Hubs from anywhere in the world, boosting their efficiency to save both time and money. IT admins can securely troubleshoot devices in Teams Rooms and configure software remotely via the Teams Room Pro Management portal, powered by role-based access controls. Remote management will give IT teams time back for more impactful work.
Remote management access
Enhanced cross-platform meetings via SIP join
With enhanced cross-third party platform meetings via SIP join, we're ensuring that no matter the meeting platform, collaboration is seamless and intuitive in an experience that feels like a native Teams Room. SIP-based conferencing services such as Google Meet, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Meet, Amazon Chime, RingCentral and others will be enabled for Teams Rooms on Windows later this year and for Android devices in 2025.
You’ll experience the look and feel of a Teams Rooms meeting with access to some third-party platform in-meeting controls (depending on the platform being used). Features include up to 1080p video quality, dual screen support, different meeting layouts, and HDMI ingest. This capability requires a SIP calling plan from a Cloud Video Interop (CVI) partner, which is currently available through Pexip.
Cross-platform meetings via SIP
Empowering partners and software developers
We’ve continued to collaborate with more device makers to improve security, ease of deployment, and seamless management. We’re thrilled to announce new partnerships with Barco, which will use the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) for all future devices, driving their innovative technology forward.
In the coming months, MDEP will introduce updates focusing on:
- Zero-Trust security: Ensuring every device is secure from deployment throughout its lifecycle.
- Next-Level deployment: Offering a scalable, low-friction, minimal-touch deployment solution.
- Premium device management: Prioritizing real-time monitoring and diagnostics for IT professionals.
Attending InfoComm this week? Say “Hi!” to some of our partners!
If you’re joining the fun at InfoComm, you won’t want to miss seeing what some of our partners brought to share.
The Surface Hub 3 and Salamander Lift and Tilt stand that were used in Ilya Bukshteyn’s keynote can be experienced up close at the Salamander Designs booth in the Central Hall, Booth #C8857. Check out the map below to find other Teams Rooms partners on the show floor.
The Connected Workplace is the future
As the Connected Workplace continues to evolve, we aim to lead its innovation. From coordinating and connecting with colleagues in the office with Microsoft Places to the speaker recognition that gives everyone a voice in a Teams Rooms to the immersive, virtual meeting spaces of Mesh in Teams, we are breaking new ground in finding ways for people to connect at work. For IT, we’re delivering valuable insights into space planning, usage, and organizational needs. We are excited about the future and committed to seamlessly integrating AI into our solutions, helping our customers become more efficient, creative, productive, and connected.
1 Work Trend Index Special Report: Hybrid work is just work. Are we doing it wrong? September 22, 2022. Microsoft Worklab.
2 Gartner Forecasts 39% of Global Knowledge Workers Will Work Hybrid by the End of 2023, March 1, 2023. Gartner®.
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